Artist Statement

Jolli Brown

On a whim, I asked my grandmother if I could have some old sheets that were stored in what we called “the junk room” of her house.  That was back in 1980. I announced that I was going to make a quilt. I had no idea what I was doing and my grandmother, who was a master seamstress watched me hand sew, making stitches that were about an inch long. When I was finished, she said to me “when you don’t know something ask for help.” I have kept that lesson in my heart every since. I became a member of Ebony Quilters, and could not have asked for a better teacher than Diane Holland and later found Marilyn Gipson. Finding a teacher with the right temperament is key and these women are the best.

Then I bought books, attended quilt fairs and asked for more help. Now I am a member of QCNNY and still learning and growing as a quilter. I love color and like to make quilts that have lots of color combinations. I have come full circle and I am back to making quilts with what I have at hand, like I did in my grandmother’s house, not relying on rotary cutters and manufactured patterns.  I hand sew everything.  I just let the spirit move me, and I let the quilt take me where it wants to go. I must admit though that I am the queen of making quilt tops  and one day I will actually quilt with those microscopic needles called betweens! I enjoy the camaraderie of the women fellowship and look forward to passing on the art of quilt making to the next generation of my family and the next generation period.